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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22453501">your whole life a plane without no landing gear</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/weepingnaiad/pseuds/weepingnaiad'>weepingnaiad</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Divergence - Post-Avengers (2012), Clint Barton Needs a Hug, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Tony Stark Has A Heart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 15:41:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,771</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22453501</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/weepingnaiad/pseuds/weepingnaiad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint comes back from SHIELD, bruised and battered.  As he makes the top step, he sees light under his door.  Groaning, he pulls his gun from his waistband and barges in, only to be met by Tony, who inexplicably wants to take care of him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clint Barton/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>214</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Clint Barton Bingo</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>your whole life a plane without no landing gear</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Beta'd by abigail89.  Thank you, dearest!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Clint is too old for this shit.  He's a fucking Avenger.  It's insane he's been tasked with babysitting new agents.  And not just any baby agents, oh no.  Fury gleefully assigned him to watch over <i>R&amp;D</i> which is staffed with baby <i>scientist</i> agents!</p><p>He should have resigned after Loki.  He'd wanted to.  Thought about worse than resigning, but then Natasha had dragged his ass back from the outskirts of Tuy Hòa, forced him to detox and then tossed him to the wolves, basically put him in Stark's path, tilting his world on an entirely different axis.  It's taken a year and then some, but he's back at SHIELD, still an Avenger, and rebuilding the shambles that was his life, bit by painful bit.  If that sometimes requires being in the middle of a goo explosion, Clint'll take it.  At least he's not locked in the basement of The Fridge or worse.</p><p>He barely has the strength to push open the SHIELD SUV door when it pulls up to his apartment.  It hurts to raise his hand to wave the driver off, but he's damned glad he convinced the driver to bring him home instead of to the tower.  The last thing his ego needs is for anyone on the team, for <i>Tony</i> his traitorous mind inserts, to see him like this: one giant limping goo-covered bruise.</p><p>He winces as his scraped shoulder pulls when he reaches for the front door of his apartment building.  Every part of his body hurts, even his hair for fucks sake!  That's on the dried goo the quick decon shower couldn't get out.  He probably should have stayed for the debrief, let medical check him out, and gone through the entire four-hour decontamination protocol, but he just couldn't.  He was <i>done.</i>  It was easy enough to slip out in the chaos.</p><p>Standing at the base of the stairs he glances upwards.  He really needs to figure out how to install a fucking elevator.  The fourth floor isn't going to come to him so he starts plodding up, one foot in front of the other, one riser at a time.</p><p>He's completely zoned out by the time his eyeline lifts above the top floor landing, but he's not so far gone that he doesn't immediately notice the light spilling out from under his door.  From his <i>empty</i> apartment.  Kate's got Lucky and everyone else he knows is either on a mission or confined to the tower because of a broken leg.  <i>Tony.</i>  There his stupid, traitorous mind goes again.</p><p>Tony Stark befriended him after, well <i>after,</i> and somehow they'd become friends.  While Clint was banned from SHIELD and the field, was in every which way but name on house arrest, he'd sit in Stark's lab and watch him work, lobbing snarky observations from the sofa or, more often, from atop Stark's tool chest.  And along the way he'd become Tony in Clint's head, probably when Tony would show up at the range and heckle Clint when he's testing whatever new trick arrow Tony'd built for him.</p><p>Clint's crush on Tony is stupid.  The guy's a genius, a billionaire with so many degrees the letters behind his surname add up to more letters than his whole name has.  Besides Tony's got Pepper, or, well, Clint thinks he has her.  She hasn't been by the Tower for awhile and he swears the paps have her linked to numerous guys, the lead singer of <i>Coldplay,</i> the ambassador to England, and even one of those Star Wars actors.  And no Clint's not skimming the net for any mention of Tony's love life.  He's just a good spy and it pays to have all the intel!</p><p>He blinks and realizes that he's still standing in the mid-floor landing, just gaping at his door.  Where no one should be.  He must still be dazed from slamming into that file cabinet.  Shaking his head, he grabs a gun, then makes his way silently to the door.  He's tempted to go up to the roof and come down the fire escape but he's not sure he could manage even that slight drop.  So there's only one thing to do:</p><p>He kicks the door in, weapon raised and pointed at the burglar sitting on his sofa.</p><p>"Stark?"</p><p>"Legolas!" Tony sits up, rubs his eyes which then widen as he sees the gun pointed at him.  "Whoa there!  I'm a friend!" he exclaims, hands lifting.</p><p>"What the fuck?" Clint swears as he clicks on the safety and holsters his gun. A groan slips out and he sags as he turns and looks at his broken lock.  "Dammit."  He runs a palm down his face, takes a deep breath and tries to straighten as he tugs the door closed.</p><p>Tony's hobbling to him, one hand outstretched.  "You look like shit.  What the hell is SHIELD doing to you?"</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>Clint's clearly losing time.  "Tony?" he frowns.  "Aren't you supposed to be healing up?  Not walking around?"</p><p>"It's a walking cast," Tony replies.  "Duh."  He's got a hand wrapped in Clint's elbow and tugs him forward.</p><p>"What?  But?  Huh?"  Real smooth Clint.</p><p>"C'mon, Clint, Jarvis ratted you out," Tony's voice is gentle and fond.  He must be talking about Jarvis, right?</p><p>"Ratted me out?"</p><p>Tony chuckles.  "You're really out of it."</p><p>"Yeah, well, you would be too if you'd taken the brunt of a goo explosion!"  Clint tries not to sound defensive, but he doesn't succeed.  He just sounds grumpy and whiny.  Great impression he's making.</p><p>"And that's why I'm here," Tony says as if that explains anything.</p><p>But they're suddenly in Clint's small bathroom and he's fully aware that Tony's in here with him.  He's bending over the tub, turning on the taps.</p><p>"What are you--?  I can take a shower!" Clint protests, too loudly, but he can't quite figure out what in the hell is going on.  "Am I hallucinating?"</p><p>Tony straightens and shakes his head, but gives Clint a half smile.  "I know you.  Because you're just like me.  And you can't be trusted to take care of yourself.  Hell, you should still be at SHIELD getting checked out, but since you follow orders as well as I do, I'm here to see that you get the care you need."</p><p>"But, why?"</p><p>Tony takes a deep breath, then steps close, right into Clint's space.  He's slightly shorter than Clint so he tilts his chin up, his expression a bit mulish and a lot defiant, but even in Clint's impaired state, he can see the hesitance underneath the bravado.  "I care about you, you idiot.  But I guess if I don't tattoo it on your forehead you'll never believe me."</p><p>"As-as friends?" Clint asks, hoping against hope that it's more than that, but he's learned the hard way not to expect good things.</p><p>Tony closes his eyes and sighs, a soft burst of air against Clint's cheek.  When he opens his eyes, he looks sad.  "I honest to god wish I didn't get it, that I had no clue why you'd think I couldn't find you attractive, but I know why you asked that and yes, I want to be friends, I thought we <i>were.</i>  But I want more."  He licks his lips and Clint's helpless to resist his gravity.</p><p>Their lips are nearly touching when Tony presses a finger to Clint's lips.  "And I want you to shower first.  I cannot even… what <i>is</i> that smell?"</p><p>"Asshole," Clint swears, but he's grinning and ducks around Tony's hand to land a kiss on his lips, laughing as Tony splutters.</p><p>"Dick!"</p><p>"Yeah, you bet your very fine ass I am!" Clint replies.  He's so tempted to make a rude gesture with his crotch, but figures that can wait.  He crosses his arms over his chest.  "Out."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"I <i>can</i> shower by myself."</p><p>"What if I want to make sure?" Tony asks, then waggles his eyebrows.</p><p>Clint grins.  "Maybe later."  He points toward the door.</p><p>"Fine, I'm going!"</p><p>Clint sags against the closed door and marvels that this is real.  That's when he also notices that there are clean clothes set on the counter as well as his hearing aid case.  Everything ready and waiting for him, far too organized for it to have been done by him before he left.  It's the sweetest thing anyone's done for him in a long, long time.  </p><p>He's still smiling when he's scrubbed clean and dry and changed into fresh clothes -- his favorite sweats and an ancient tee -- as he makes his way out.  He stumbles slightly when he sees two large boxes from his favorite pizzeria.</p><p>"Tony?"</p><p><i>"You got your ears in?"</i> Tony signs.</p><p>Clint freezes.  "You know sign?"</p><p>Tony shrugs like it's nothing, but he's blushing.  "Thought it'd come in handy."</p><p>Clint's upon him in a few strides, barely waiting for a slight nod before he sweeps Tony up in his arms, wrapping him tight and then kissing the daylights out of him.</p><p>"You brilliant--"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, I know," Tony interrupts, but he's smiling and he's made no move to pull away.  He fits perfectly in Clint's arms and how is this his life?</p><p>"So, pizza?" Clint asks as his stomach rumbles.</p><p>Tony blinks, sways just a bit when Clint releases him.  And that's gratifying as all hell. Tony Stark finds him, <i>him</i> attractive.  Wants more than just friendship.</p><p>"Um, there's Dog Cops, too?" Tony says, voice uncharacteristically hesitant.  "Thought you might get me up to speed?"</p><p>Clint leans back in, sweeps his lips up Tony's cheek to his ear.  "Dog Cops <i>and</i> pizza?  You are so getting laid tonight," he murmurs, grinning widely at the shudder that runs through Tony.</p><p>There's beer to go with the pizza, but Clint opts for sparkling water.  Tony wrinkles his nose at it, but Clint explains he'd rather be fully himself and Tony licks his lips as his eyes linger on Clint's.  He sets his beer back in the fridge and pulls a can out as well.  Clint grins even wider as they settle next to each other on the sofa, shoulders brushing as Clint tries to explain why Sergeant Whiskers is on administrative leave.</p><p>They both fall asleep three episodes in.  Clint wakes with a crick in his neck and Tony sprawled out on his chest.  He glances at the clock; it's nearing two in the morning.  He's gonna regret it when he has to get up, but right now there's nowhere he'd rather be.  He was wrong, Tony didn't get laid.  But this is even better.  He flicks the television off and settles in, arms pulling Tony tight against him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Title given to me by my title whisper.  Thank you as always, hitlikehammers!  It's from the song <i>Born Losers</i> by Matthew Good.</p><p>This is a fill for my Clint Barton Bingo square: <i>Clint Barton/Tony Stark.</i><br/>It is also a fill for an old, cirque 2012 old, Cotton Candy Bingo square: <i>knows me better than I know myself.</i></p></blockquote></div></div>
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